St. Peter’s Church is officially a federated congregation!! Both the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod and Penn Northeast Conference have approved the federated documents. Additionally, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has approved the merger of the two congregations. The Board appreciates the congregation’s support and encouragement during the process.

The Church Board will be holding a reorganization meeting in September. At that time, new officers will be elected. We will also be taking steps to combine the membership rolls and giving records. As part of this process, letters will be forwarded to members who have not recently been active participants in the life and ministry of St. Peter’s Church in an effort to welcome these members to reconnect with our church family. We look forward to positive responses and are excited about the opportunities to worship together and serve each other and our community.

The Board is happy to report that Pastor Kenneth Melber has agreed to serve as our “designated pastor” while we search for a full time pastor. Pastor Melber will continue to perform hospital and shut-in visitations.

Additionally, he will teach the confirmation class and attend Board and committee meetings. Supply pastors will be scheduled through the Penn Northeast Conference and Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod to perform Sunday morning worship services.

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SEARCH COMMITTEE

We pray that the congregation will trust our leadership, and trust that God is working through us. We ask for the congregation’s strength and support to help guide us through this time of transition.

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

We are now moving forward with the search committee meetings with the introduction to become a Federated church. This is very exciting to us to look into this new chapter, we all have spoken about being one as a church opposed to just Lutheran or U.C.C. This gives us the ability to accomplish that, as one of the search committee’s members spoke “Now we would truly be a Union Church”

- With that being said our identity (as a church) will change through this process, which will help the search committee to determine the direction we will move forth in the future.

- The Shared Ministry we adopted has paved the way for this next step for all of us.

- We as a search committee have had numerous discussions about us voting as one, this would alleviate that.

- Please reach out to Board Members as well as Search Committee Members with your questions and we will do our best to find you answers.